Chelsea striker Diego Costa posted a picture of himself with Diego Simeone last night after meeting his former boss, who tried to re‑sign him in the summer.
Costa is in Spain with his national squad and took the opportunity to have dinner with the Atletico Madrid manager. The striker captioned the picture on Instagram: “Great reunion with great memories.”
Costa told Spanish TV in August he wished he could go back to Atletico but has since been rejuvenated at Chelsea under Conte.
Atletico cannot buy players for the next two windows due to a Fifa transfer ban and although Simeone has a very close bond with Costa, the manager says he will leave the club in 2018.
But Chelsea face no such worries as the January transfer edges ever closer.
Standard Sport understands that the club are ready to back Antonio Conte’s title challenge with an increase transfer budget, as the Italian looks to bolster his options – particularly in defence.
